George Lohmann holds the record for being the fastest to reach 100 wickets in Test cricket. The England pacer achieved the landmark in 16 Test matches.
Australia’s Clarrie Grimmett and Pakistan’s Yasir Shah are the joint-fastest spinners to take 100 Test wickets. Both leg spinners took 17 matches to grab their 100 scalps. Charlie Turner and Sydney Barnes also completed 100 wickets in 17 matches, though both were pacers.
Ravichandran Ashwin is the quickest among Indian bowlers, taking 18 Tests to reach the 100-wicket mark.
You can check out the bowlers who have been the fastest to 100 wickets in Test cricket.
Fastest to 100 Wickets in Tests
| Player | Team | Matches to 100 Wickets | Time Taken | Debut Date | Achievement Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Lohmann | England | 16 | 9y 241d | 5 Jul 1886 | 2 Mar 1896 |
| Charlie Turner | Australia | 17 | 8y 4d | 28 Jan 1887 | 1 Feb 1895 |
| Sydney Barnes | England | 17 | 10y 72d | 13 Dec 1901 | 23 Feb 1912 |
| Clarrie Grimmett | Australia | 17 | 5y 323d | 27 Feb 1925 | 16 Jan 1931 |
| Yasir Shah | Pakistan | 17 | 1y 357d | 22 Oct 2014 | 13 Oct 2016 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 18 | 2y 8d | 6 Nov 2011 | 14 Nov 2013 |
| Colin Blythe | England | 19 | 8y 88d | 13 Dec 1901 | 11 Mar 1910 |
| Alfred Valentine | West Indies | 19 | 3y 261d | 8 Jun 1950 | 24 Feb 1954 |
| Anderson Roberts | West Indies | 19 | 2y 138d | 6 Mar 1974 | 22 Jul 1976 |
| Ian Botham | England | 19 | 2y 5d | 28 Jul 1977 | 2 Aug 1979 |
| Saeed Ajmal | Pakistan | 19 | 2y 205d | 4 Jul 2009 | 25 Jan 2012 |
| Vernon Philander | South Africa | 19 | 2y 39d | 9 Nov 2011 | 18 Dec 2013 |
| Robert Peel | England | 20 | 11y 242d | 12 Dec 1884 | 10 Aug 1896 |
| Maurice Tate | England | 20 | 4y 183d | 14 Jun 1924 | 14 Dec 1928 |
| William O’Reilly | Australia | 20 | 4y 338d | 29 Jan 1932 | 1 Jan 1937 |
| Wesley Hall | West Indies | 20 | 3y 99d | 28 Nov 1958 | 7 Mar 1962 |
| Erapalli Prasanna | India | 20 | 7y 322d | 10 Jan 1962 | 28 Nov 1969 |
| Waqar Younis | Pakistan | 20 | 3y 48d | 15 Nov 1989 | 2 Jan 1993 |
| Dale Steyn | South Africa | 20 | 3y 74d | 17 Dec 2004 | 29 Feb 2008 |
| Mohammad Asif | Pakistan | 20 | 5y 208d | 2 Jan 2005 | 29 Jul 2010 |
Note: Bowlers who reached the landmark in 20 or fewer matches are mentioned.
Related Stats:
Fastest Batters to 1000 Runs in Men’s Test Cricket